Amur-Lena Offensive (Munich Goes Sour)
The Amur-Lena Offensive (Japanese: ) was a Imperial Japanese Army operation on the Siberian theater in the Pacific War of World War II. It took place between 22 June and 2 December 1941. The offensive took Japanese forces from their start lines on the Amur River almost 2,704 mi (4,352 km) to the Lena River; where the Soviet Sakha Republic capital of Yakutsk is located. It was the largest invasion ever in human history, and the largest invasion ever mounted by the Empire of Japan. Over 90 percent of the Imperial Japanese Army's total man power and material resources were concentrated to the Siberian theater. Following the Empire of Japan's introduction of Hokushin-ron ("Northern Expansion Doctrine"), which stated that Manchuria and Siberia were the Japanese Empire's sphere of interest and that the potential value to the Empire of Japan for economic and territorial expansion in those areas was greater than elsewhere. In 1939, the Japanese Kwantung Army were victorious in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol (Nomonhan) during the Soviet-Japanese War, which had an major impact on the Imperial Japanese Army. The Imperial Japanese Army began to make preparations for an invasion of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union, to be carried no later than mid-1941. The invasion, codenamed Operation: Hachi-Go (Hachi-Go no. 8) called for the eventual commitment of the bulk of the Imperial Japanese Army: 200 divisions and numerous smaller formations, a total of 5,581,395 men, 5,775 tanks, 33,500 artillery pieces and mortars, and 9,000 aircraft. The Imperial Japanese Navy would also participate in the invasion, as the navy would assault Vladivostok, the homebase of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, to eliminate the Soviet Pacific Fleet. In the first phase, 20 divisions would be massed along the Ussuri (Iman) under the 1st Area Army (army group). The Japanese 3rd and 7th Armies would strike towards Voroshilov; the 5th Army would strike at Iman and sever the railway and cut off Vladivostok. Remaining divisions would conduct supporting operations or be in reserve. Along the northern front, the 4th Army would engage in delaying actions north of the Lesser Hsingan Mountains. Along the western front, the 6th Army would engage in holding operations west of the Greater Hsingan Mountains. Second phase operations on the eastern front would have the 3rd and 7th Armies advance upon Vladivostok while the 5th Army struck north to seize Khabarovsk. It culminated in the Battle of Khabarovsk, one of the largest battles fought on the Siberian theater. The Imperial Japanese Army general staff had informed the Kwantung Army in early 1939 that such an invasion of Siberia required the provision of at least 200,000 motor vehicles and an great expansion of railroads in Manchuria and the Soviet Far East. The Battles of Khalkhin Gol had been an rehearsal, so the Imperial Japanese Army made preparations for the planned Operation: Hachi-Go. The Imperial Japanese Navy also prepared for the invasion, and provided with at least four aircraft carrier battle groups which were placed close to the Primorsky Krai (Maritime Province) and the Sakhalin Islands, respective. Primorsky Krai was to be cut off from the rest of the USSR, and then be conquered by the advancing 3rd, 5th and 7th Armies, respective. Once Primorsky Krai was conquered, the 3rd, 5th and 7th Armies would link up with 4th and 6th Armies to march on Lake Baikal and the major cities of Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. It later culminated in the Battle of Krasnoyarsk, and the massive-offensive on the Krasnoyarsk Krai in order to encircle the Soviet forces fighting in the heavily defended Sakha Republic.